Floor construction for cars.



0. A. LINDSTRUM.

FLOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR CARS.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEBJZ4, 1914.

1,169,975. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co WASHINGTON, n. c.

SATES AT a; cement CHARLES A. LINDSTROM, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO PRESSED STEEL CAR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEVV' JERSEY.

FLOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed February 24, 1914. Serial No. 820,557.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LIND- s'rRoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 138 Stratford avenue, Pittsburgh, E. E., in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor Construction for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway cars having wooden sides and floor, and has partlcular reference to a novel side and floor con struction suitable for use in box or gondola cars.

The particular object of my invention is to provide a construction of floor, and side and end lining for the above classes of cars, which will result in a car which will, without the use of an increased quantity of material, exclude moisture, prevent the leakage of grain or other granular material, and permit of the removal of the floor boards for repairs or replacement without the necessity of removing one or more of the side sheathing boards, which is essential in other constructions of this kind with which I am familiar.

In the practice of my invention I contemplate the use of underframes such as are found in standard practice, having the usual center and side sills, bolsters and cross bearers, and fioor stringers of either wood or metal, combined with my construction for attaining the aforementioned objects.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1' is a vertical cross section of a portion of a car taken near the bolster member. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section showing a modification of my invention, and Fig. 3 is a further modification thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the under-frame, only one half of the width thereof being shown, consists of channel center sills 1. channel side sills 2, bolster members 3, and the usual cross bearers and end sills, the two last mentioned not being shown in the drawings. Side parts or stakes 3, and diagonal braces if necessary, extend upwardly at intervals and form the side frame of the car. The bolsters are shown as being composed of web plate 4, top and bottom stiffening members 5 and 6, and top and bottom tie plates 7 and 8, and secured to the center sills 1, and side sills 2, in the usual manner. The floor 9 is supported by the floor stringers 10, which may be of wood as shown in the drawings, orof metallic commercial sections, and extend substantially from end to end of the car. WVhen wooden stringers are used the flooring boards 9 may be nailed or bolted to the stringers 10, or if metallic stringers of commercial section are used, the flooring boards may be bolted to them by bolts passing through round holes made in the stringers; or through slotted holes in the stringers, when it is desirable to provide for adjustment of the flooring boards to take up any shrinkage that may occur. v

The end portions 1.1 of the flooring boards 9, are halved, or reduced to about one half of their original thickness, such reduction extending for a distance, from the ends of the boards, equal to a little more than twice the thickness of the siding boards 12. A combined filling and nailing strip 13, is then inserted in the open space between the flooring and siding boards, thus making a tight joint between the flooring and siding, and also facilitate the removal of the flooring boards which may be accomplished by removing the combined filling and nailing strips 13, and also the means for securing the flooring boards to the stringers, and sliding the flooring boards endwise in the direction of the side of the car, until one end is clear of the lower siding board, when they may be removed without much difiicul'ty. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, combined filling and nailing strip 13, is shown as having a sloping upper surface adapted to shed the lading, whereas in Fig. 2, this strip is shown as having its upper surface flush with the top of the floor. Fig. 3 shows a modification of my invention in which the ends 11 of the flooring boards 9, do not extend to the outside of the siding boards 12, but stop short thereof, and in this way a saving of material is effected without sacrificing the tightness of the joint formed by the flooring and siding boards and the filling strip.

It will be apparent that the construction just described for the floor and side walls, is also applicable to the end walls of the car, and that modifications may be made in the construction described, and that such modifications as are within the scope of my claims, are considered by me to be within the spirit of my invention.

Claims:

1. In a railway car, a Wooden side all and filling strip in combination with flooring boards having rabbeted'ends adapted to receive the side Wall and filling strip.

2. In a railway car, a Wooden side Wall and filling strip in gzon lfination with flooring boards having rabbeted ends adapted to receive the side Wall and filling strip,-said filling strip having an inclined upper surface. I

3. In a railway car, the combination of center sills, side sills, transverse mernbers, stringers, Wooden side Walls, flooring boards and filling strips, said flooring boards havfiooring. stringers extending from end to end ing rabbeted ends adapted to receive the Wooden side ivalls and filllng strips. .i

' 4 In a railway car, the colnblnat on of center sills, side SlllS, transverse members,

20 of the car, flooring boards having rabloeted ends secured to said stringers, and ooden sides and filling strips adapted tobe secured in said'rabbeted ends.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 25 in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES A. LINDSTROM.

IVitnesses:

FRANK E. MILLER,

MARGARET SUMMERBEL Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents. Washington, D. 6 

